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The Family

The W.H. Stark House was built in 1894 by William Henry Stark and his wife, Miriam Melissa Lutcher Stark. The Stark’s only surviving child, H.J. Lutcher Stark, lived with his parents in the home until he left for college in 1905. Miriam and W.H. Stark continued to reside in the home until their respective deaths in 1936, and they were the only family to ever occupy the home.
Miriam Melissa Lutcher Stark moved to Orange, Texas, with her parents, Henry Jacob Lutcher and Frances Ann Lutcher, as a teenager in the late 1870s. Her father co-founded the Lutcher & Moore Lumber Company, which was the start of the philanthropic legacy of the Lutcher and Stark families.
In 1881, Miriam Lutcher married William Henry Stark, who was involved in various business endeavors including banking, oil, rice, and insurance. Upon the death of Miriam’s father, William Henry Stark became the president of the Lutcher & Moore Lumber Company. He and Miriam had two children, Frances Ann Stark and H.J. Lutcher Stark. Frances Ann Stark died as a young child, but H.J. Lutcher Stark survived his parents. Miriam and W.H. Stark were avid collectors who instilled in their son, H.J. Lutcher Stark, a lifetime dedication to philanthropy and the arts that continues to benefit the Orange, Texas, community today.